Shirt collar shafxno  xetice



Jan. 4, 1949. M. M. NEWMAN SHIRT COLLAR SHAPING DEVICE Qriginal Filed May 10, 1946 INYENTOR 3 ATTO NEY Reissued Jan. 4, 1949 i Re,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 23,072 siiilt'r COLLAR SHAPING DEVICE.

Max M. Newman. New York, N. Y., assigno'r of one-'Iialf to victor Newman, New York, N. 1'.

Original No.- 2,426,519, dated August 26, 1947, se-

rial No. 668,887, Ma 10, 1946. Aplflication for reissue' October'24, 1947, Serial No. 781,884

16 Claims. (01. 2 1a2) 1 2 This invention relates to the shaping or shirt tion with the French seam at the edge I2 procollars and more particularly to shaping or formvides a channel into which the shaping element ing means for the collar edge so as to prevent 10 may be inserted. A similar condition exists wrinkling and provide a neat appearance thereof. in the broken away portion of'Fig. 1. Such in- This application is a continuation in part of sertion may be effected in the manufacture of my application serial No. 636,918, filed December the collar so that the element Ill is permanently 27., 1945. In that application I disclosed a comincorporated in said channel or an opening may bined shaping and stiffening element wherein the be provided in the collar adjacent the neckline element was suitably rigid during a portion of whereby the element l0 can be inserted or reits length for transmitting such rigidty to a pormoved as desired. ton of the collar edge while a flexible portion of The shaping element l0 comprises sections the element was provided to permit of its being having varying degrees of flexibility. Section I5 draped over a tie knot adjacent the collar edge. thereof is propor ion d and di p s d so s to It is an object of the present invention to prooccupy the central and principal portion of the vide an improvement of thecollar shaping means collar edge as illustrated in Fig. 1. Section 3 described in my previous application in that the is of a relatively flexible nature and is properarticle will be more easily and simply constructed tioned and disposed so as to control the top or and will present various economies in the manuneckline portion of the collar edge. Extension facture thereof. sections I1 and i8 are integral with a unitary Another object of this invention is to produce 2 strip l9 which is pre er u n n e rily, a collar shaping, means which will inflict less wear of a fabric material received Within the section on both shirt collars and shirt bosoms so as not 15 as Wi e e a e be de e to shorten the life of the shirt unduly. Section i5 is of a tubular rigid plastic or metal Still another object of my invention is to promaterial such a opper, r s or. in e any vide a". collar forming means which may bend L 5 metallic material. Section I6 is formed of a so as to adapt itself to the shape of an adjacent series of discrete, rigid, ring dike members tie knot but in which bending in the opposite which give the section [8 the characteristics of direction is prevented. It can be seen, therefore, a chain. Members or links 20, however, are inter that the flexibility of the collar shaper or former connected only by Vir u f th fieXiblB Strip is limited to conditions where it is useful so that 0 around which the members 29 are clamped. the collar cannot take an opposite bend where Since they are discrete, however, the section 16 it might jut out from the shirt front at a large ay b d re e to the Section y Virtue 0f angle. the flexibility of strip l9. Members 28 are so Other objects of my invention will be apparent formed that the bending of section i5 relative from the following description, it being undero Section I5 is permitted in One direction and stood that the above general tatement f the resisted in another direction. Thus, one side of objects of my invention are intended to describe ion l6 has its members at formed with to and not limit it in any manner, extensive and adjacent edges which mutually In the drawing: resist bending in that direction. On the other Fig. 1is aperspective view, partly broken away, hand, the ppos e e Of Section 6 has the of a collar and tie assembly, the collar being proadjacent ed es of members 26 cut out so asnot vided with the shaping means of the instant in to i p e a phy ic l arri r a inst ben in vention, Accordingly, section [6 can bend inwardly as Fig, 2 i n el ati n l i of th haping illustrated in Fig. 1, but cannot bend in a reverse ment per direction whereby the collar edge is restrained Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating ai an ob 'e o ab e .l'utted out pos tion. the reverse side of the shaping element. The Strip nd r m h nds Of the Fig. 4 is a section along the line G -40f Fig. 3. shaping m n c mpri n s ctions 15 and i6. Fig 5 i a modified mbodim nt The extension l1 lends a soft tip to the struc- The collar 0 is of the well known turned-down re o s to v i ma e o a shirt front and type provided with the conventional French to screen or absorb the edge of the metal shapseams at its edges. l he elongated shaping eleing section I5. Extension section it! serves in a ments H) are incorporated between the plies of similar capacity for the top end of the shaping the collar adjacent the edges H and I2 thereof. element.

It will be apparent that the" scam I! iii-consume strip 19 may comprise a. stranded fabric mate rial such as an ordinary wick. It will be found that the extension members I! and I8 will form a soft protective tip against the edges of the metallicsections as hereinbefore described.

The assembly and construction of the device are particularly simple. It is desirable to first select a metal tub-e which is of round cross section and then thread a suitable length of strip I9 therethrough so that it extends past both ends of the tube. The tube may then be filed as by a triangular metal flle, to form the concave undersides of members whereby they will be permitted to bend in that direction when the device is completed. Of course, these concave undersides may be formed in the tube in advance of the strip insertion. The tube may then be flattened out, as by a hammer, until it assumes the shape indicated by Fig. 4 whereby the strip I9 is clamped and secured within the tube so as to be substantially unremovable therefrom. The members 20 may then be bent so as to produce the breaks or sides 2I and form discrete members thereof, which lend such a degree of limited rigidity to the section I6 as to permit of its being draped over a tie knot as illustrated in Fig. 1 while retaining sufiicie'nt rigidity to serve as shaping means for the collar edge. It is obvious, of course, that instead of bending operations to form the members 20, they may be sawed or filed, as desired. In fact, the members 20 may be individually threaded on the strip I9 and thereafter clamped or otherwise maintained in position.

The unitary strip I9 not only serves to maintain the members 20 in proper position so as to prevent either their movement or escape but it also provides the extensions I1 and I8 for the purposes set forth. The unitary strip I9 also serves to maintain the integrity of section I5 in the event that it is broken during laundering or ironing as is quite possible. Unless such a strip were provided, breaking of section I5 would cause the broken parts to fall or otherwise become displaced in the collar edge channel so that the shirt might become seriously damaged or no longer desirable for wear. The assembly of the instant device is extremely simple and economical while its construction is such as to fulfill substantially all the shaping requirements of a collar edge. The uni-directional bending characteristics of section I5 are, of course, not essential to the practice of the invention, but they serve as an additional safeguard against distortion. Similarly, the tubular construction of section I5 throughout its length is unnecessary and the flexible extensions I1 and I8 may be individual or independent strips, both or either of which may be-used as desired. They may be connected as by the clamping method shown or by a suitable adhesive such as an adhesive connection of canvas strip to spring steel. The extension IB functions as a hinge in swingably connecting the section I6 to the section I5, thus enabling the section I6 to perform its shaping functions.

In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the flexible strip is secured at one end of the body portion 26. Body portion 26 is a'thin flat length of metallic material, preferably a resilient spring steel having a normally straight configuration, although a heat resistant plastic material may be used. Body 26 has an integral clamping band 21 which secures the strip 25 thereto. The ring-like members 28 are similar to the members 20. The device shown in Fig. 5 may be constructed by providing a flat length of metal with a tubular end,

forming the concave undersides 29 therein, inserting the strip 25 through the tubular end, flattening the tube to secure the strip, and finally breaking or otherwise separating the flattened tubular end into separator ring-like members. It will be found that the concave undersides have a curving effect on the ringed section which con forms more or less to the shape it will assume when installed in a collar. The flattened tubular end being thicker than the single thickness of body 25 serves as a stabilizing or supporting influence against downward movement of the device in the collar seam. In this embodiment, a user may cut off whatever portion of body 26 that is excessive so that the over-all length of the device may be adjusted to suit a particular length of collar edge.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made therefrom without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. Collar shaping means comprisin a hollow, elongated section of rigid material adapted to be received adjacent to and shape a shirt collar edge, flexible, soft means extending from at least one end of said section, and discrete, rigid members supported by the extending portion of said flexible means so as to lend a degree of rigidity thereto.

2. Collar shaping means comprising a hollow, elongated section of rigid material adapted to be received adjacent to and shape a shirt collar edge, flexible, soft means extending from at least one end of said section, and discrete, rigid members supported by said flexible means so as to lend a degree of rigidity thereto, said rigid members being so formed as to be bendable as a unit in one direction only, said flexible means being operative to connect said rigid members and permit such bending.

3. Collar shaping means comprising a hollow, elongated section of rigid material adapted to be received adjacent to and stiffen a shirt collar edge, a flexible strip received within said hollow and extending from bothends of said section, and a series of discrete rigid members supported by the flexible extension at one end of said section.

4. Collar shaping means comprising a hollow, elongated section of metallic material, a fabric strip received Within said hollow and clamped therein by said section, said fabric strip extending from both ends of said section, and a series of discrete, rigid members supported by one end of said fabric strip, said fabric strip extending past said rigid members whereby said collar shaping means is provided with soft tips at both ends thereof.

5. Collar shaping means according to claim 4 wherein said discrete members comprise metallic rings clamped on said fabric strip.

6. Collar shaping means according to claim 4 wherein said discrete rigid members comprise metallic rings clamped around said fabric strip and having cut away adjacent sides permitting flexibility in one direction whereby said collar shaping means may bend in the region of said rigid members in said one direction.

'7. Collar shaping means comprising a hollow, elongated section of metallic material, a fabric strip received and clamped in the hollow of said section and extending from both ends thereof, and a series of discrete metallic rings separated from said section and clamped over one end of said fabric strip so as to lend a degree of rigidity thereto, said discrete rings being bendable as a unit in one direction and being so formed as to resist bending in an opposite direction, said fabric strip extending past said discrete metallic rings so as to furnish a soft tip-for such end of the shaping means While the other end or extension of said fabric strip furnishes a soft tip for the other end of the shaping means.

8. Collar shaping means comprising an elongated member of rigid material adapted to be retained adjacent to, and shape a shirt collar edge, a relatively soft, flexible member connected to said elongated member so as to extend from at least one end thereof, and rigid means connected to the extending portion of said flexible member, said extending portion serving as a hinge between said elongated member and said rigid means whereby said rigid means may be bent relative to said elongated member so as to permit of its being draped over a tie knot adjacent to said shirt collar.

9. Collar shaping means comprising a fiat elongated body member of normally straight configuration, a length of flexible fabric material secured at one end of said body member, and discrete, rigid members connected to said fabric material.

10. Collar shaping means comprising an elongated section of rigid material adapted to be received adjacent to and shape a shirt collar edge, a series of discrete and rigid rings having flexible connections between them and having an overall flexibility so as to permit said series of rigid rings to drape over curved surfaces by the flexibility of said connections, and hinge mean connecting said elongated section and said series of discrete rigid rings.

11. Collar shaping means comprising a flat, elongated body member of normally straight configuration, a length of flexible material secured at one end of said body member and a chain-like series of discrete rigid members secured to said flexible material, each of said discrete members being flexibly connected to each other.

12. Collar shaping means according to claim 11 wherein said discrete members are so flexibly interconnected as to be bendable in one direction and resist bending in the opposite direction,

13. Collar shaping means according to claim 12 wherein said discrete rigid members comprise rings formed around and maintained by said flexible material, said rings having their undersides cut away where they approach. adjacent rings so as to permit the series of discrete members to bend in the direction of said cut away undersides, the edges of adjacent discrete members on their top sides being co-planar and substantially contacting so as to resist bending in the direction of their top sides.

14. Collar shaping means comprising a fiattened elongated body member of rigid material for stiffening a collar edge, and a fabric strip clamped within and extending throughout the length of said body member.

15. Collar shaping means comprising a flattened tubular rigid, metallic body member of elongated form for stiffening a collar edge, and a fabric strip clamped within the tubular member through the flattened formation thereof, said fabric strip extending throughout the length of said body member and past both ends thereof.

16. Collar shaping means comprising a flattened, elongated :body member of rigid, frangible metallic material for stiffening a collar edge, and a fabric strip enclosed and clamped within by said flattened body member so as :to extend throughout the length of said body member, said 'fabric strip further extending past at least one end of said body member.

MAX M. NEWMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025 Great Britain Jan. 26, 1910 

